What are the PIP mobility component rates for 2026/27?

Full answer

PIP mobility component is one of two separate components that make up Personal Independence Payment (the other being the daily living component), and it specifically assesses difficulties with getting around, not general daily living tasks. **The two rates** For 2026/27, PIP mobility component pays either the standard rate of £29.20 a week, or the enhanced rate of £77.05 a week, depending on your score under the mobility activities in the PIP assessment. Both rates are uprated annually in line with CPI inflation, alongside the daily living component rates. **How eligibility is scored** Assessors score two mobility activities: "planning and following journeys" (covering cognitive/psychological ability to navigate, not just physical movement) and "moving around" (physical ability to walk or mobilise, including using aids). Points are awarded per descriptor within each activity, and your total mobility score determines which rate (if any) you receive: broadly, 8-11 points gives the standard rate and 12 or more points gives the enhanced rate, though the exact scoring depends on the specific descriptors that apply to your circumstances. **The 20-metre and 50-metre distinctions** A significant amount of case law and assessment guidance concerns exactly how far someone can walk safely, repeatedly, in a reasonable time and to an acceptable standard -- broadly, inability to walk more than 20 metres tends to be associated with higher points (often qualifying for enhanced rate), while being able to walk further, but with significant difficulty, may still score points at a lower level. **Worked example** Someone with a mobility-limiting condition who can walk unaided for only around 15 metres before significant pain or breathlessness forces them to stop, and who needs to stop and rest frequently, likely scores highly enough under the "moving around" activity alone to reach the enhanced mobility rate, generating £77.05 a week, in addition to whatever daily living component rate they may also be awarded separately based on a different set of activities. **Why the mobility component matters beyond the cash payment** Receiving the enhanced mobility rate of PIP is also the standard route into eligibility for the Motability Scheme, which lets claimants lease a car, scooter or powered wheelchair using their PIP mobility payments instead of receiving the cash directly -- this is often the single biggest practical benefit of qualifying for enhanced mobility rate, beyond the weekly payment itself. **PIP is not means-tested** Unlike many other benefits, PIP (including both components) is not affected by your income, savings, or whether you are working -- it is based purely on the functional impact of your health condition or disability, so someone in full-time work can still receive PIP mobility component if their condition genuinely affects their mobility as assessed. **Practical tip** Keep detailed, specific evidence of exactly how far you can walk, how consistently, and what happens afterwards (pain, exhaustion, needing to stop) when completing the PIP assessment form, since vague descriptions like "I struggle to walk far" score far less reliably than concrete, repeatable detail describing a typical bad day, not just your best day.

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